A number of different furnace system are utilized in modern day furnaces to protect the metal structures contained therein. For example, water-cooled pipes and support structures in reheat furnaces are protected by lengths of refractory shapes positioned in end-to-end relationship and connected to the pipe or structure to be protected. Other structures in a reheat furnace are often water-cooled and must be protected. Typical examples are water-cooled box beams and water-cooled door lintels.
Some applications present expansive surface areas which must be covered with protective refractory members. One such application is the water-cooled panels which make up the wall structure and roof above the melt line in an electric arc furnace.
It is known to use a weld insert within a protective refractory member, which weld insert is welded to the underlying metal member to be protected. The present inserts are inadequately retained within the refractory member and are subjected to deterioration from concentrated heat. A need remains for a weld insert which is better anchored within the refractory and an insert which is better cooled to prevent deterioration.